August 29, 2012

Act for Sudan, a bipartisan alliance of American citizen activists and Sudanese U.S. residents who advocate for an end to genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan, today welcomed the letter to the Obama administration from the global genocide scholar and expert community concerning Sudan. In the letter, 62 genocide scholars stated, “Sufficient evidence exists for us to believe the Sudanese regime is attempting to annihilate those whom the government suspects of supporting the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North’s (SPLM-N) aims. Hence many local people are automatically targeted regardless of their true political affiliations.” The letter highlights the humanitarian crisis, saying, “The Sudanese regime continues to slaughter its own civilians, while denying them access to aid and in defiance of various international treaties and conventions it has signed, not to mention the Sudanese constitution” and details the steps that the United States should immediately take “to ensure aid is delivered to South Kordofan and Blue Nile.”

Act for Sudan welcomes this clear leadership from the world’s top academic leaders on the ongoing campaigns of mass atrocities being committed in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states of Sudan.

In the media release accompanying this letter, genocide scholar Samuel Totten stated,“It has become impossible for us to remain silent. We exist to remind the world that genocide is not a crime merely found in history books, but something we must stand strongly against in both word and deed right now. If we do not stand with the victims, then we are automatically standing with those who commit such crimes. We urge the Obama administration to take a stand against these atrocities now for this very reason; otherwise, history will be unforgiving for further inaction.”

Act for Sudan calls on the Obama administration to make a public statement in response to this letter and begin a new course for U.S. policy on Sudan that embraces the protection of civilians from mass atrocities.